Tony Dungy Calls Michigan Proposal 3 a ‘Direct Attack on Parental Rights’ and Urges a ‘No’ Vote

by Bruce Hausknecht | November 3, 2022 | Life

Coach Tony Dungy, the Hall of Fame NFL coach and devout Christian, has come out publicly with a plea to Michigan voters to vote “no” on Proposal 3, a ballot initiative on abortion so radical, it grants minors the right to obtain an abortion or sex change procedure without parental input or knowledge.

The Daily Citizen’s previous coverage of this dangerous and radical ballot initiative is here. We called it “a targeted attack on children and families by creating rights for minors to not only get abortions without parental consent or notification but also for minors to seek and receive gender reassignment surgeries without parental involvement.”

The Heritage Foundation explains in more detail here how Proposal 3 goes far beyond simply codifying Roe v. Wade, and why that’s so dangerous.

Dungy, a former resident of Michigan, took to Twitter with a short video of his plea to voters in the Wolverine State to oppose the ballot initiative.

“On Nov 8 Michigan residents will be voting on Proposal 3,” Dungy wrote in his introduction of the video. “It is a subtle but direct attack on parental rights. We can’t forfeit our ability to parent our children. Donate today to @votenoprop3 #handsoffourkidsmi #MIProp3 HandsOffOurKidsMI.com”

In his 30-second video, Dungy expanded a bit on his concerns:

“On November 8th, voters in Michigan – my home state – will be voting on Proposal 3,” the coach said. “I’m very concerned, even though I don’t live there anymore – I’m very concerned that this proposal would severely limit parental rights and parental consent in how we raise our children. I hope you will read this very, very carefully, and I think if you do, you will vote ‘NO’ on Proposal 3 on November 8.”

One look at the language of Proposal 3 reveals its wide-ranging scope and dismissal of parental rights.

“(1) Every individual has a fundamental right to reproductive freedom, which entails the right to make and effectuate decisions about all matters relating to pregnancy, including but not limited to prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, sterilization, abortion care, miscarriage management, and infertility care. An individual’s right to reproductive freedom shall not be denied, burdened, nor infringed upon unless justified by a compelling state interest achieved by the least restrictive means. …

“(2) The state shall not discriminate in the protection or enforcement of this fundamental right.

* * *

“(4) For the purposes of this section:

A state interest is “compelling” only if it is for the limited purpose of protecting the health of an individual seeking care, consistent with accepted clinical standards of practice and evidence-based medicine, and does not infringe on that individual’s autonomous decision-making.

The language of Proposal 3 speaks about the “individual,” not limiting its scope to adults. That, says The Heritage Foundation, is so vague, “probably by design,” that voters “could unwittingly be rejecting…the rights of parents to protect and direct the upbringing of their minor children.”

Dungy has taken principled, public stands in the past on biblical and family issues. He has challenged pro-abortion arguments that attempted to cite the Bible as supportive of killing pre-born babies, and supported legislative efforts in Florida to promote responsible fatherhood.

Once again, Coach Dungy has come out firmly on the side of life, families, and parental rights in urging a rejection of Proposal 3 on the Michigan ballot.

We join with the coach in strongly urging Michigan voters to vote “NO” on Proposal 3 on November 8.

You can find the Daily Citizen’s coverage of Election 2022 here.

 

Photo from Shutterstock.

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